You shouldn’t have to have insurance to get medical attention. President Obama is correct in thinking that any modern democracy has to offer its citizens health care whatever their income or level of insurance. There is widespread opposition to his plans and debates about how the money should be raised to pay for such healthcare. The bottom line is, however, that everyone who is ill has the right to expect suitable medical attention whether it be short or long term. What has not surfaced in this debate is any question of preventative medicine or better health screening.  School based heath centres are critical if, for instance, deafness is a problem. By diagnosing it early that child could be referred for medical attention and the extra teaching he or she may need. Obviously the same would apply to other ailments such as eye problems. Nor has the question of responsibility for one’s own health. If a patient is struck down by cancer for instance should be get precedence over someone who destroys his or her own health by alcoholism or obesity? These are vexing questions but they are part of the bigger picture.
Health cannot be tackled in a vacuum. Lifestyle, education and social conditions all play a large part in it. So keeping the nation healthy has to be tackled on all these fronts In the meantime millions of people would be less likely to become ill with worry if they knew their President had ensured that all Americans were equal and had equal access and treatment in hospitals and surgeries.

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There are a lot of stressed kids in our schools. According to a recent survey 44% of children feel stressed about how well they are doing in school. The real question is who causes that stress? Is it parents pushing them beyond their ability. Is it teachers pressurising them to do well in exams? Do they inflict it on themselves by setting themselves unrealistic goals?
In many cases teachers can help to make lessons a more positive experience. They have to think about the benefits using the power of positive feedback to stimulate and encourage students. It is also important that they create equity in the classroom because children have a great sense of fairness and if they feel they are being treated fairly and equally they will respond better. Teachers can also speak to parents about pushing children by explaining the need for lots of encouragement instead of pressure. They can also explain to parents that they must be realistic about the abilities of a particular child. Some may always be bad at maths but great at dancing. Everyone has talents but they are all different and just because your dad is a doctor doesn’t mean that science will be your best subject.
Above all though children should be encouraged to discover their own particular talents and skills whatever they may be.  Maybe they have leadership qualities and, if so, could be encouraged to go for school head or captain of the football team… Perhaps they are charismatic rather than academic and their abilities as public speakers or organisers of a youth club might be explored. High achievers aren’t always the happiest children. Those who feel valued for what they are as people are much more likely to be content.
Above all children should have the opportunity to talk about their worries and to get the help necessary to deal with them. It might be difficult for them to come straight out and talk to someone about their problems… With a little organisation debates or discussion groups on worrying topics can throw a lot of light on what children are thinking. With the right attitude to stress you can beat it.

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Halloween has become almost as commercialised as Christmas. Children won’t play Trick or Treat unless they have appropriate costumes. Every store has hats and brooms for witches. Every home that has children has to be decorated too. There’s no need to ask, ”Is there a ghost in the house?” because at least one of the children will be dressed up in a white sheet uttering ghostly noises. In many windows hallowed out pumpkins hold candles which cast out a flickering light, thus adding to the ghostly atmosphere. It’s doubtful whether today’s children play those old-fashioned Halloween games such as snap apple any more. It’s even more doubtful whether they put chestnuts to roast on an open fire. Busy parents buy their costumes these days instead of making them. Yet despite these differences children still love dressing up, taking a bag and knocking on doors hoping to be given lots of lovely things to eat. Halloween may be commercialised but children will always be children.

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Wordsworth’s poem entitled The Daffodils is probably the one that always comes to mind in spring when the countryside is festooned with glorious trumpets of yellow. In autumn we remember Keats words, “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” Hadn’t those poets a wonderful way of describing nature and what it meant to them? They painted pictures with words. There is a timelessness about their poems that makes them firm favourites with each succeeding generation. What a wonderful gift they were given in that they could describe, so lyrically, the beauties of nature. In a world where climate change may destroy our seasons such poems may soon be the only link we have with the seasons we once knew and loved.

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The nights are getting darker
The evenings drawing in
Winter’s just upon us
Let’s take it on the chin
Because, you see, it’s party time
When we go on the town
Dressed up for the function
In an evening suit or gown.
There’ll be toasts to the ladies
Carry on that leads to Hades
Dancing the whole night through
Votes of thanks to speakers too
Forget the cold and instead
Go out and paint the town bright red.

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Veteran’s Day is fast approaching and with it will come the sound of marching feet, barked commands and utter silence. Flags will fly at half mast and those present will remember and salute the dead. Amongst them will be the veterans of war, those who survived the carnage. Some will have been badly injured, others will sport medals and yet more will still have nightmares thinking of what battle really means. Those who fought or died are entitled to be honoured in this way. They did their duty and were loyal and patriotic. Yet surely too such gatherings must tell us that we have not learnt our lesson well. We continue to invade and to fight. We spend billions on war when we should be spending it on want. We have not learnt to live at peace with our neighbours. Certainly we have not learnt to love them. Their actions are not always lovable of course but that old adage of an eye for an eye leaving everyone blind is true. Perhaps the best compliment we could give to our war dead is to ensure, through diplomacy, that no other mother should lose a son.  Now that’s a challenge and a war worth fighting.

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Robert Burns night is not until January but already Scots are organising the haggis, tasting the usice beatha and pressing their kilts. They fully intend doing great justice to the Bard and all his works. Scotland is not the biggest country in the world but in terms of celebrations they certainly know to party. Wherever they are around the globe they get together to toast Robbie Burns and to spend a night amongst their own. It’s a night full of pomp and ceremony, fun and laughter, a little nostalgia and the use of words that aren’t always in the Oxford dictionary. After all Robbie wrote in his own dialect and the songs and ballads he wrote summed up the people and places of his time. For a man who spent his whole life in Scotland he and his works are famous throughout the world. Most of his life was spent on farms but, unfortunately for him, he was not a farmer and his crops always seemed to fail. That is why he became an excise man. He needed the income to feed his family because although he was a prolific writer it wasn’t a profitable occupation…
He was born in an era where travel was slow and ponderous yet today his works on the internet are available wherever lovers of literature search.  Robbie wrote ballads and poems of the people and places he knew and they always reflected the human condition. Perhaps that is why on New Years Eve even those who don’t know him or his works sing lustily “Should auld acquaintances be forgot.”

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President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize must make people question how a President considering sending more troops to Afghanistan qualifies for such a prize. Whatever about that at a more local level there are plenty of people who really deserve their awards. Take the teacher of the year awards for instance. What they do may not affect the world but a good teacher can do wonders for individual students which in turn influences others through the generations. It is no co-incidence that when famous people speak of those who have influenced them many choose to speak of a particular teacher. The Nurse of the year receives her award for the care and devotion she has shown her patients and surely that is a more richly deserved award than one given to someone who sends young troops to be shot? When speakers give volunteer appreciation speeches they are honouring those who have done something positive for society, people who are often unsung heroes or heroines. Even the entrepreneur of the year is usually given his or her award because they have created employment for others. The question must be asked have the Nobel prizes gone past their sell by date?

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Terrorism - Are we fanning the flames? That’s the question that President Obama must ask himself before agreeing to send even more troops to Afghanastan. The army may say they need more troops on the ground but are they already driving more Afghans into the arms of the militants? What benefit will there be from sending more troops? Perhaps its time to start another war but this time one on want. The army is full of engineers, doctors and builders who could make such a difference in poor countries by providing facilities that people lack. If they were doing that perhaps the answer to the question would be an unqualified “Yes”. The more troops they send the sooner the war on want could be won.

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What are you going to wear when giving your speech? Obviously if it is a military occasion you will be wearing your uniform while at a posh wedding you will be something glamorous if you are a woman or perhaps formal wear if you are a man. Then too if you are accepting a prize as a sportsman or woman you may be waring club gear. If, however, the occasion does not call for specific clothing there are still some things you should bear in mind. Men fare better of course because, unless they are wearing a kilt, they usually wear either a suit or flannels and a jacket. They should remember though not too wear a flamboyant tie or a t-shirt with a message because they will distract your audience from what you are saying. Don’t forget too that you should button your jacket and that your shirt shouldn’t hang out. Women speakers should be sure that their clothes are classical rather than too colourful, flamboyant or eye-catching. Nor should they wear ear rings or bracelets that jangle. It’s worth remembering too that if you are up higher than your audience it is less distracting for them if your skirt is not too short, however wonderful your legs! Remember you want your audience to concentrate on your message not your clothes.

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